Congress can only benefit if…: BJP on INDIA bloc’s boycott of news anchors
NEW DELHI,SEPT 15 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday took a dig at the Congress regarding the Opposition bloc INDIA’s decision to boycott 14 broadcast media anchors.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that boycotting various institutions, including the media, would not serve the Congress well. He added that the Congress would benefit more by boycotting their party leader Rahul Gandhi.
The remark came a day after the INDIA bloc released a list of 14 television news anchors whose shows will be boycotted by the alliance’s media representatives. The INDIA parties will not send their representatives to the shows hosted by the 14 news anchors, the statement said on Thursday.
The remark drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, with party chief JP Nadda alleging that the Congress has a “history of bullying the media”.
Sambit Patra claimed there is no institution in India that has not come under attack by the opposition alliance, be it the Election Commission or the courts.
“All of them are doing their work well,” before directing his criticism towards Rahul Gandhi, stating, “If there is someone who is not up to it and who the Congress should indeed boycott for its own benefit, then his name is Rahul Gandhi…Your leader has no strength. Who all will you boycott? If you have to boycott and move ahead, then boycott your leader,” Patra said.
He also accused Rahul Gandhi of “promoting hate” despite talking about love. “The Congress leader speaks about ‘Mohabbat’ (love) but sells ‘Nafrat’ (hate),” Patra said.
Sambit Patra raised questions about the intentions behind the list of journalists that the opposition alliance plans to boycott, alleging that it is more of a “target list” meant to subject these journalists to legal action and persecution. He questioned who would be responsible if these journalists faced targeting by certain individuals, including members of the opposition parties.
In addition, Sambit Patra pointed out the Congress party’s historical tendency to target the media, citing past instances such as Jawaharlal Nehru’s first amendment to curb absolute freedom of expression, Indira Gandhi’s imposition of the Emergency, and Rajiv Gandhi’s proposal for a defamation law.
-The Indiia Today
